It's happened to all of us, driving along the highway minding our own business, when a chip of stone kicked up by the car in front pings against the window and chips it. It's one of the most frustrating things that can happen to your car, and considering the size of the damage, it is disproportionately expensive to put right. Many people take their car to the repair shop with a stone chip in the windshield, and then get charged for a replacement at a cost of hundreds of dollars.

However, this need not be the case. Under many circumstances, instead of replacing the whole windshield, you can use a windshield repair kit to fix small cracks and chips in the glass at a fraction of the cost.

A typical car windshield is made up of a laminate of at least two layers of glass with a polymer resin sandwiched between them This gives the glass huge strength, and in the event of an accident, the resin is designed to hold the pieces of glass together and stop them showering into the car and causing injury.

Because of the layered structure of a windshield, crack repair is possible. Usually in the event of a stone chip, only one layer of glass is damaged, with the underlying layers remaining undamaged. This means that it is possible to make the windshield more stable, and prevent the damage getting any worse, without having to replace the whole windshield.

If the stone chip has gone through more than one layer of the glass, or is positioned right in the centre of the driver's field of vision, then you should consider replacing the wind shield completely, because under such circumstances, the damage could cause impairment to the ability of the driver.

If you are able to repair the windshield, you should carry out the work as soon as possible after the damage occurs. If it is left too long, the cracks can spread out across the screen thanks to the pressure of the air pushing against the glass when you are driving. As the cracks spread, the glass becomes weaker and weaker, and can eventually simply shatter under the pressure, which is obviously highly dangerous for the driver and any passengers in the car.

The actual method of repairing a stone chip or small crack in the glass is simple with the appropriate windshield repair kits. Although different manufacturers package the kit differently, the actual method used is roughly the same.

Windshield crack repair is carried out by injecting a clear resin into the crack or chip under pressure in order to completely fill any spaces, then the resin is cured rapidly using a special light that leaves it as hard as rock. If it is carried out properly there should be no distortion of vision when you repair windshield crack damage, and in many cases, the resin bonds so well with the edges of the cracks that the actual damage is much less visible and distracting for the driver.

As well as small windshield repair kits designed for a single use, larger professional kits are also available that contain enough resin and equipment to perform up to 100 repairs. Because it is a fairly straightforward task to repair cracked windshields using the proper tools, there are many companies available who will carry out the service on your behalf, although at a much higher cost than doing the work yourself ? albeit a lot less than you would have to pay for an entirely new windshield.

The windshield on your car is there to protect you at all times, but it must be clear to see out of to help you avoid any trouble in the first place. It is vitally important to repair any damage to it, no matter how small it is, to ensure your safety, and also to prevent it getting worse and potentially costing you a lot of money.